Anniversary Post: Worth The Fall by Claudia Connor

They meet on a beach. . . . Abby Davis isn’t wearing a skimpy bikini or sipping umbrella drinks, not when she’s busy chasing around four little ones. And Matt McKinney isn’t looking for fun—he’s a Navy SEAL, a grown man with a long list of missions . . . and fallen brothers.

They only have a week. . . . Abby has brought her children to this beach to start over, to give them the enjoyable memories they deserve. Matt’s been sidelined by a combat injury, and haunted by the best friend he lost and the promise he made: to remain a SEAL—focused and dedicated. This leaves no time for what he’s always wanted: a family.

But a week is all it takes. . . . Matt opens her heart while Abby soothes his soul. And though they plan to say good-bye when the week is over, something magical happens on that beach, something neither can forget. Something utterly, completely worth falling for.

Happy first birthday to Matt and Abby!! I can’t believe it’s been a year since Worth The Fall left the nest of my tiny writing closet and went into the world. I can’t thank you all enough for reading, for sharing, and for loving Matt, Abby, and the kids as much as I do. I hope you enjoyed catching up with them in Worth The Risk and you’ll get another sweet update in JT’s, book Worth It All.

Matt and Abby mean so much to me and Worth the Fall is about falling in love, making choices and taking chances. It’s also about believing you’re enough, believing you’re worthy of what’s being offered. I absolutely LOVE these characters. I spent three years with them before I ever considered writing their story, then almost three more years writing it. Any minute of any day, I can pop into their lives, be a fly on the wall. It’s like watching your favorite movie that never ends!

Recently, I had the opportunity to sit down with Matt and ask him some fun questions. 10 questions, to be exact!

10 questions from Inside the Actor’s Studio:

“Thanks for having me.” Matt sits back in the leather club chair and checks his watch. “I’ve got ten minutes before all hell breaks loose but we’ll do what we can.” *smiles*

1. What is your favorite word?

Hmm…The first word that comes to mind is glubs, Mary’s word for gloves. She’s three now and we were outside the other day and she said, “It’s cold. I weally need my glubs.” Now we all call gloves glubs. Makes me smile every time I hear it.

2. What is your least favorite word?

Vomit. Or more like the phrase, “I just threw up”. I cringe and thank God for my wife who handles things like that way better than I do.

3. What turns you on?

That’s easy. Abby. Everything about her turns me on. Dressed up and in heels, that’s killer. But a t-shirt and sweats does it for me too. Hair down, I run my fingers through it. Hair up, I kiss her neck. Hearing her laugh, seeing her smile, watching her…um…Sorry. *smiles embarrassed and runs a hand through his hair* Your fault for leading my mind there. Next question.

Favorite sound…I guess it’d be the combination of sounds when we’re all out in the backyard and everyone’s happy. Abby and I were just talking about this the other day, how much we love that sound. *wide smile* Even if it only lasts a minute without anyone needing a bandaid or fighting over a swing, it’s a beautiful sound.

6. What sound do you hate?

The alarm clock. Every damn morning. I still wake up around four, a habit from the military, but the alarm says time to get up. Time to leave Abby all warm and wrapped up beside me. Or okay…yeah. *sheepish grin* Maybe she’s not always asleep.

7. What is your favorite curse word?

Fuck. It works. And when I’m alone I tend to let an entire string fly, get it all out. It’s obviously a no-go at home.

8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?

*thinks for a second, shakes his head slowly* Sorry. I got nothing. I honestly can’t think of a single thing I’d rather be doing. Every house I flip is something new and different. Abby helps me with the details, like what tile goes with what granite, and all that. I’m home in the morning to help get the kids ready for school. I’m here at night for homework, bath, and bed, which can turn into a full scale assault. I honestly don’t think my life could be any better.

9. What profession would you not like to do?

*shrugs* Anything that’s not this.

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?

I hope he’d say, false alarm. Like, Hey, Matt. Just checking in, you can go back now. Because the thought of leaving my family is… It’s just not something I ever want to think about.

New York Times bestselling author Claudia Connor attended Auburn University, where she received her undergraduate and masters degrees in early childhood education, and completed her studies in Sawbridgeworth, England. Always a lover of happy endings, she enjoys movies, reading, and spending her days putting on paper the stories in her head. She lives near Memphis, Tennessee, with her husband and three daughters.